BMW R 1300 R, R 1300 RS & R 1300 RT ridden & rated

BMW R 1300 R / RS / RT Review

BMW’s heavily overhauled 1300 cc boxer engine has now been rolled out to its three more road-oriented models after first appearing in the all-important GS and GSA Adventure models last year.

The 1300 is far and away the Munich brand’s most important engine, with over 50 per cent of BMW Motorrad sales coming from the two Adventure bikes, and a further 15 per cent coming from these road models. So this engine alone powers two-thirds of all the bikes BMW sells in Australia.

MCNews.com.au was invited to the Australian launch of the R 1300 R, RS and RT variants in Victoria, to compare and contrast the three road-going models and see just how well the new 1300 donk performs in the tarmac-only role.

I came away not just impressed with each bike in their own right, but with a new appreciation of just how much difference can be felt from what can seem like relatively minor changes to ride position and chassis geometry.

I also now have a new personal favourite boxer-engined BMW. And based on what I know, it will be a highly controversial opinion that a substantial number of GS owners are missing out on what is arguably a better road bike. More on that later…

The three models in question

For the uninitiated, the three models can be summarised as follows:

The R model. The naked roadster sports bike. A little bit of boxer-powered streetfighter. Wide bars in a lower position (compared to the other two) make this the sportiest ride of the three.

The RS model. The Sports Tourer. Slightly more relaxed riding position compared to the R – with some fairings thrown in for even more comfort. If the much-loved Honda VFR of old was reincarnated as a BMW boxer, it would be this.

The RT model. The Tourer. The most relaxed riding position with all the touring trimmings, including but not limited to that obvious big screen and fairing. Don’t think for a minute that it can’t be hustled along though…

Same, same. But different.

As I mentioned in the introduction, all three models share the engine and gearbox with the GS. As well as the main chassis and swing-arm from what I could tell (and what we were told). But despite sharing a central core, each model rides noticeably differently.

That engine, for what it’s worth, remains an absolute powerhouse. 145 hp tells only a small part of the story; it’s the colossal 149 Nm of torque that completes the picture. It is just so incredibly grunty, practically from just above idle.

Beautifully fuelled too. On the road, it’s a joy to twist open the taps and get into that outstanding midrange.

While I’ve never been a massive fan of the boxer exhaust note (they’re historically a little underwhelming), I have to admit that even with the standard muffler, both the R and RS models sounded surprisingly good. More than once, when doing photo runs and waiting our turn, some of us were looking at each other in surprise asking ‘is that one of our bikes?’

This boxer’s ‘box finds its mark.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the new 1300, though. I’ve been critical of the new gearbox in the past, especially in the lower gears. Shifting between the first three cogs via BMW’s quick-shifter (BMW shift assist) isn’t exceptionally smooth. Far from it, I found it to be quite a blunt instrument in that regard. The latest GSA seemed to improve things a little, but you still end up using the clutch for those gears instead of just relying on the quick-shifter.

Well, there’s a solution for that: the ASA clutchless option. You can run it in full auto mode (D), where it shifts for you, or in manual mode (M), where you still shift the cogs. And I’m here to tell you that the manual mode is nothing short of superb on the road.

While there will be many who are reluctant to go that path on their GS – and that’s fair enough for those riders who rely heavily on clutch technique offroad – on tarmac it’s brilliant. Up. Down. Any revs. Just glorious. Smoother than teflon-coated butter.

How good? I’d put it up there in my top three gearboxes I’ve ever ridden, joining the other benchmarks being BMW’s own M1000R and Ducati’s brilliant Multistrada V4 box. The lever feel is very different, but once you’re used to it… what a thing.

The ASA (Automated Shift Assistant) uses two actuators to control the clutch and gearshift, and offers noticeably improved rev-matching compared to the standard quickshifter.

BMW expects the overwhelming majority of the R, RS, and RT to be fitted with the option, as in nearly all. Yes, you can opt for a regular gearbox, but you’ll be in the minority.

There’s a Variant for all

I’ll also admit to being a little cynical in the past about BMW’s plethora of spec ‘variants’ within models. But as was pointed out at the launch, with so many customisation options, BMW has found it simpler to tailor packages of options for specific customer needs and then let those customers fine-tune them as they want.

Take the R, for example. Base model comes in at 22 thousand, but the list of recommended options that most punters will opt for brings that up to nearly 28k.

You can opt for the ‘Exclusive’ variant that adds comfort and dynamic tech packs and some specific styling options for 28.5k, or the ‘Performance’ variant, which adds the sport suspension and sports seat options, amongst others, for 28.2k.

Or go for the top dog, the ‘Option 719’ variant for 31k that adds a bunch of styling options but skips the sports suspension.

Sport Suspension option does take things up a level

That sports suspension certainly makes a difference. If you’re the sort of rider who might want to play around at a track day or two, or your favourite piece of road is nice and smooth, I’d give it some serious thought.

It is electronically adjustable, with settings for road mode and dynamic (sport) mode. However, I found it noticeably less compliant over bumpier sections of road than the standard suspension, even when softened back as far as it would allow.

The RS too has the sports suspension option via a ‘performance’ variant, but here again I’d personally stick with the standard suspension unless your roads are nice and smooth… The standard suspension does a great job of bump control while offering plenty of feel.

I found both the R and RS to be more than comfortable and to handle in a familiar, relatively conventional way in the twisties (that’d be the ‘normal’ front suspension). You can roll through the bends, and they’re more than happy doing their thing.

Or if you want to get the best out of them, both bikes respond well to shifting your weight around and getting more involved. Get your butt sideways and your body on the inside of the centre line, and they’ll both rail a corner better than you might think for 239 kg (R) and 245 kg (RS) bikes. That weight translates to terrific stability and on-road composure at even highly spirited road speeds, and there was no issue in the braking department either.

One bike liked to be ridden differently from the other two

The RT is unique amongst the three, though. With its 24 L tank compared to the 17 L unit shared by the other two models, it’s clearly made with the long haul in mind. Combined with the additional fairing work, tall screen, and colour-coded side panniers, it sees the weight bump up to a not-insubstantial 281 kg when fully fuelled.

It’s the only bike of the three that uses BMW’s Telelever front suspension, which is set up to handle the extra 40 kg over the other two models.

When walking the bike around at a standstill, it is noticeably more top-heavy than the other models. However, once on the move, there’s some German engineering wizardry at play here. Not only does that weight disappear, but the more top-heavy nature of it actually translates to a bike that requires next to no body movement at all to hustle along.

If you let the bike pivot beneath you while you stay relatively upright (rather than leaning off) it’s an absolute doddle to punt along. Especially when you move it into one of the sport modes (Dynamic or Dynamic Pro), which firms up the suspension and sharpens the geometry by bumping up rear preload…

I may or may not have been giggling as I pushed some of the other journos who were on board the R and RS. I can’t imagine what that would have looked like filling their mirrors.

You can see how they make such an excellent base for police bikes loaded with even more gear, and I now understand how said police riders can hustle them along at surprisingly high speeds… Super comfortable, great pillion and luggage options and that terrific torquey boxer engine. It’s touring made easy.

One of them hits the sweet spot

But for me, the pick of the bunch is the RS. It’s such a handsome-looking bike, especially in that Brooklyn Grey ‘Option 719’ trim. I was the moth to its naked flame as soon as I saw it. I’m convinced that if more manufacturers made Sport Tourers that looked and performed like this, that segment would come to life again. I know Trev lusts after a long, low twin-piped sports-tourer powered by the engine from Yamaha’s MT-10 or from Ducati’s Multistrada V4.

The RS is stylish, smooth, stable, comfortable, easy to ride, has all the tech you want and can be punted along more than quickly enough. And with 145 hp, it’s super manageable without being overpowered, unlike some of the 180+ hp monsters on the market. Throw a sports muffler on there for extra aural goodness, give me some even stickier tyres and I’d be as happy as a clam.

I’m aiming to grab one of those for a few weeks to live with and try and pick it apart. Because, frankly, I couldn’t find any meaningful faults in my quick impression, though I did wonder what it would be like with the lower bar risers fitted to the ‘Performance’ variant. Not even sure if that’s a possibility in terms of speccing them up (I don’t think it is).

The ASA option has cured the gearbox issues, and with that option, I’ll go so far as to say the R 1300 RS is the best boxer-engined BMW I’ve ever ridden. Big statement indeed.

If you are one of the 50 per cent of BMW buyers who’ve opted for a GS but you only ride on the road… I reckon you might just be missing out…

BMW R 1300 R / RS / RT Specifications

BMW R 1300 R / RS / RT Images

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